To Save A Kingdom
by Coldgaze
Summary: Mystery shrouds the valley kingdom of Eres when the princess turns up missing. A hardened mercenary, a pair of thugs and a quirky young theif are among the many searching to gain the reward. But there is a much darker reason why the princess fled.
1. CharactersIntroduction

**Medieval Era**

**CAST OF CHARACTERS**

King Raoul: King of Eres.

Princess Layna: beautiful 18 year old princess of Eres, eldest princess, 3rd child of King Raoul. Ran away from home to escape marrage to Tauh.

Lucas Swiftblade: 26 year old mercenary, former foot soldier.

Kelanie: 20 year old companion of Princess Layna. She is Layna's personal guard.

Prince Tauh "The Terror": Eldest prince of Aldon. 31 years old.

Rai: young, talented theif. 17 years old.

Joren and Dre: two thugs who search for the Princess.

**The Plot... (think of it as the back of the book)**

_A kingdom in turmoil…_

Mystery shrouds the valley kingdom of Eres when the princess turns up missing. Those who dare to do so speculate that she has run away for it is rumored that the king was of a mind to have his daughter forced into marriage to the much older prince of a dangerous neighbor.

One year ago Eres came out of a tumultuous war with this dangerous neighbor, Aldon, leaving their once beautiful country in shambles. Now, just a year later, Aldon has threatened another war, a war that Eres does not have the resources to fight. Anxious to keep his country safe from this threat, the king of Eres has offered up a wild and desperate proposal, a marriage alliance between Eres' beautiful princess and Aldon's eldest prince.

_A runaway Princess… _

Unwilling to marry this terrifying man that people are calling "The Terror", young Princess Layna has run away with nothing but a horse and the clothes on her back. The king immediately sends out search parties to look for his oldest daughter, but to no avail. Frantic with worry, the king widens his search, offering a sizable bounty to whoever can find his daughter. This reward includes not only riches, but also the title of Baron and an estate with lands and tenants. In other words, power as well as money. He has sent the news to every village and town in his vast valley kingdom, even instructed posters to be put up around the country in hopes that more people will see it. The cheerless king wants no stone unturned until his daughter is found.

_A penniless mercenary…_

A hardened warrior, Lucas Swiftblade has seen many things. A soldier turned mercenary after the war, he has tried being choosey with his clients, the trouble is no one can afford a mercenary. So after months without work, he is desperate for anything and when he hears the rumor of great fortune on the wind, he listens. How hard can it be? The hardened warrior is about to find out just how badly Layna _doesn't_ want to be found.

And so the question stands: was the beautiful Princess Layna kidnapped? Or did she, in fact, run away to escape an unwanted marriage?


	2. Chapter 1: Information

**Chapter 1: Information**

Branches rustled as a light wind breezed through the forest. The road through the forest was empty but for a lone rider who sat as though born in the saddle. The horse was a bit large for a commoner, about the side of a knight's charger; then again, the rider was a rather large man. With a long, dust brown cloak that covered most of his large frame, the hood shading his face from view. The horse whickered softly and the rider leaned down and patted its neck, the horse calming under its riders touch. Looking up, the man tossed back the cowl of his cloak with one smooth motion. He had a stern but sensual mouth set in a hard face that revealed very little about his thoughts. With a heavy brow, high cheek bones and a straight nose, he had a face that looked as if it had been sculpted by a very talented god. He had a strong jaw and a stubborn chin that was covered in a slight 5 o-clock shadow, as if he hadn't bothered shaving that morning. His smoky brown hair was cut in a very unconventional style; instead of the long wavy locks that most men had, his hair was short. He glanced around and racked a hand through his soft hair, tousling it by accident though he didn't bother fixing it. His hand, which he then returned to the pommel of his worn leather saddle, was strong and calloused, signs of a working man. Besides his hands and odd hairstyle, there were plenty of other ways to tell that this man was not a noble. His clothes, for instance; white shirt, the laced ties at the neck open and undone, brown breeches and black boots that had seen many trails. Though his clothing was not extremely dirty or old, they were not of the same fine make as a nobleman's wardrobe. He also had a black leather jacket tossed across the saddle in front of him. A noise sounded on the road behind him and, not wanting to take any chances, he spurred his bay into action and galloped toward the town ahead.

The town was noisy and loud, piercing his ears like a knife. He growled at a merchant who shoved fish in his face. The man gulped and stepped back, moving on to the next person seconds later. Lucas was a mercenary, a former soldier who needed a job. Looking around over the tops of peoples head, he was three inches over six feet; he spotted a tavern and started towards it with swift steps, leading his horse behind him. He handed the reins to a stable boy, tossing the boy a coin before entering the noisy tavern. The sounds and smells were always like a slap in the face to him after many nights on the road and this time was no different, they hit him hard as soon as he stepped through the door. Immediately following the shock of the yells and stink, a busty redhead sidled up to Lucas and glanced at him sidelong. Flower Sellers, that was the street name for prostitutes, and this girl was the perfect example. Slim around the waist with a bosom that probably wasn't as large as it appeared. Her hair was long, falling in swirling ringlets over her breasts about halfway to her waist. And it was a rich auburn red. She winked at him, "Heya stranger," she said, using the crowd to draw him close to her as she whispered into his face. Her voice was husky but feminine, "You looking for a guide?" He cleared his throat and raised his eyebrows, using his forearm to gently push her away. She gave him a pouty look before slipping away to the next man.

Shaking his head, Lucas shoved his way to the counter, sliding a coin across the counter. The barkeep nodded and slammed a mug of ale in front of him. Lucas sipped as he observed the raucous men and women of the tavern. Hard working men who, after a hard day's work, wanted nothing more than to drown their sorrow in drink. He couldn't blame them though; the kingdom wasn't doing so well especially after the war and without a good crop it spelled bad news for any farmers and dock workers.

Lucas sighed and took a long drink from his mug as two muscled men entered the bar and sat near him. They looked like trouble but Lucas wasn't going to say anything, especially when he noticed the barkeep touch the dagger at his waist. He grinned at the barkeep and glanced at the men. One of them, the one closest to Lucas, was bald and had a long, thick scar on his cheek. He had a mean face and large hands that were clenched into fists.

"…those sodding bastards at th' docks." That was from the smaller one, a younger man with black hair and icy eyes, the precise color of which couldn't be determined in the faded, smoky light of the tavern. "They don't know who they be messin' with. Eh Joren? No one mess wi' me'n my boys." He looked around nervously. "That stupid man at th' docks refusin' to pay us right n' fair, it ain't right! We done a full, fair day o' work and he think he can jus' go'n refuse t' pay us! It jus' ain't right!" He pounded his fist on the counter but the effect of the sound was lost in the noisy room. The bigger man, obviously called Joren, nodded.

"But we aren't going to need his dirty money after we find the princess and collect the reward, Dre. We'll be rich beyond your wildest dreams," he said soothingly. Lucas was surprised to hear that his speech was educated and cultured. Even more interesting was the news about the princess. Lucas scooted a tiny bit closer and tuned his ears to listen. "That runaway princess can't have gone far. Finding her should be a synch. And the king promised gold, lands and a title to the men who return her," he continued, looking into the distance as he imagined the possibilities.

"But I don' care 'bout no title," Dre, the younger man said. "What's title gotta do wi' th' likes o' us Joren?"

"Idiot!" Joren said, slamming his own giant fist on the table with a thud. "Title and lands mean power!" He hissed.

A slow, wicked grin spread across Dre's angular face. "Power…" he mulled it over, and then nodded excitedly.

Lucas also mulled it over in his mind. Power, title, lands, money. Money. He needed money, and a title wouldn't be too bad either. He grinned to himself and glanced over at his unsuspecting informants. Bring back the runaway princess; it would be even better if he got the kings permission to search. Yes, he nodded to himself absently. He would leave first thing in the morning and ride up to the castle that sat astride the hill above the town. He'd speak to the king and bring back the princess and collect his money and never have to worry about jobs ever again. He grinned to himself once more and tossed the barkeep another coin. Standing from his seat he left the tavern. He'd have to use the last of his money to buy a room in town and stable his horse, but it'd be worth it.

The next morning dawned bright and early for Lucas. He rolled out of bed and rubbed his face, raking his fingers back through his tousled hair, somehow styling it perfectly. Swinging his legs over the bed he tugged on his boots and hightailed it out of the lower city, trotting toward the Golden Gates of the palace. Because he used to be a soldier, Lucas had been to the palace before; he'd even spoken to the king, so he wasn't nervous.

He looked around as he rode steadily up the road, looking at the houses that lined the streets, much better than the ones in the lower city. The Upper City had its own markets and was home to rich merchants and lesser nobles. The Upper City was separated from the Palace by a great Golden Gate. Behind the gate, winding its way up to the palace was the Palace Road. This was Lucas' destination and he wanted to get there before the sun rose too far into the sky.

He was lucky; the gates were just opening when he arrived. The guards at the gate sniffed in unison at his dusty leather jacket, which pulled a chuckled out of him. But they recognized his sword belted at his waist as that of a soldier and waved him through the gates.

With newfound purpose, Lucas rode up to the palace, the sun shining its first morning rays down on him as if urging him onward. He smiled slightly and tilted his face toward the warmth of those rays, feeling peaceful.


	3. Chapter 2: Princess with the Golden Hair

**Chapter 2: The Princess with the Golden Hair**

She was the most stubborn girl in the entire Kingdome. At least that's what her father told her over and over again that morning. "Darling, you must marry him for the sake of the kingdom," he had said, his voice pleading. It was certainly the right argument to make, for Layna felt a deep loyalty to her people and she didn't want to see her home ravaged by war so soon after the last one and by the same tyrants no less. But marry a beast like Prince Tauh? Even his name sent shivers down the young princess's spine. No, no way in hell was she going to marry a man known as The Terror.

It wasn't like Layna was afraid of the stories, though they truly were terrifying, it was the man himself who she had met only twice before. The first time had been when she was just six years old. He had been just nineteen years old at the time and just getting the feel for knighthood in his kingdom. The two kings had decided to hold a meeting to devise a treaty and what better way to do that then throw a ball and invite the nobles from both kingdoms to attend? And so the children of both kings had been forced to greet one another when they arrived.

The king of Aldon had four sons, the eldest of whom was Tauh. He was huge, a giant of a man standing 5 inches over 6 feet with broad shoulders and huge muscles bulging all over his body and barely contained by his formal clothing. Looking back Layna realized that at that time he might had been considered handsome in a striking, rough sort of way. His face was hard and chiseled, as if the sculptor hadn't had the time to soften out the hard lines of his face and his mane of brown hair had been wavy and soft looking. But the most striking part about Tauh was his eyes. Brilliant, bright blue eyes that regarded everything with burning intensity. And they were cold, very cold and always devoid of any emotion. Layna supposed that was what she'd remembered most about him, and when she saw him next it was the only thing she recognized.

The second time she'd met Tauh was nine years later when she was fifteen years old. He was even more terrifying than he had been when she was six. Now a knight who was fully aware of his abilities, Tauh was the most feared warrior in both kingdoms. The stories of his conquest were legendary and he hadn't earned the name The Terror for nothing. He was a fierce warrior and he had the scars to prove it. They said there was a story sung about each of the scars on Tauh's face, and Layna couldn't imagine any of them were proper for a lady.

The most prominent scar on his face was a thick line that started just under his left eye and went down to his jaw. He had another thick one that slashed through his eyebrow, cutting it in half and another scar near his right ear. Two more scars formed an X across the bridge of his nose and the lower part of his right cheek had a scar across it as well. Indeed he was a terrifying sight, his hair was still the same though shaggier but his nose had been broken a few too many times. He looked very much the hardened knight, the terrible warrior. But those cold, intensely blue eyes were the same. Layna knew that Tauh always had been and always would be a terror. He was a man who didn't seem to have a heart and even Layna who always looked for the good in people had given up trying to find excuses for his behavior.

Which was why she refused to marry him. She didn't want another war for her home and if the only way to prevent this war without her marrying Tauh was to kill everyone involved, including the massive knight then she would fin a way to do it. But there was no way on earth or in the heavens that she was marrying that beast.

So she had locked herself in her room, appearing to sulk about her imminent future in peace while in truth, her mind was whirring with ideas of escape. Just then a knock sounded at the door and Layna glanced up as a tall young woman entered. She was two years older than Layna, placing her at the prime age of twenty. "Layna," the woman said, her brown eyes sparkling mischievously. Ordinarily, no one dared speak to her with such familiarity other than her family, but this woman was more than a sister to Layna.

"Kel," Layna's voice was weary but there was a touch of relief at the sight of her friend, Kelanie wouldn't let her do this alone, nor would she try to stop her. In truth Kel hated Tauh more than Layna did and was fiercely against Layna marrying the brute. "I'm glad you're here."

Kel smiled down at Layna, her long auburn hair glimmering red in the fading sunlight. "Plotting an escape are you?" she said, her voice holding none of the sternness that it should have. After all, Kel was Layna's personal guard. Sure they claimed that Kel was nothing more than Layna's dear friend and companion, but the royal family knew differently. While it was true that they were dear friends, Kel had been trained specifically to guard the eldest princess of the crown. In fact, each of the royal children had a "companion". For the older children, it was a man or woman close to them in age, for the younger children it was usually a friendly guard who followed them around or even one of the younger guards or a "nurse maid".

Of the seven royal children, Layna was the third oldest. First there was Alex, a strong, brave 27 year old knight and the only child of the king's first marriage to Lady Georgette. The queen had died when Alex was five and the king was urged to take another wife. So he married the beautiful Lady Juliana and promptly produced another son who they called Leon. Leon was now 21 and then had come Layna followed later by Juliet, who was now 16, the twins Cal and Devon who were 13 and finally Annabelle who was just 11. Each of them had a companion like Kelanie.

Kel's steady voice brought Layna back to the task at hand, escape. "So, come up with anything yet?" she asked.

Layna shook her head, somewhat dismayed. "We could leave as soon as the house is asleep…" her voice trailed off and she shook her head again. Knowing her father as she did, Layna knew that escape would be nigh impossible unless it was well thought out. She needed to disappear. The two women sat together for a moment and thought. Suddenly, Layna grinned. "I know what we could do," she said, grinning broadly at Kel.

Kel shook her head and smiled knowingly, "I know that look. Come on then, out with it."

"We'll be messenger boys!" she said cheerfully which earned a decidedly less enthusiastic look from Kel. Layna grinned again, "We cut our hair and dress as boys. It shouldn't be hard after that, after all, the one thing I'm known for his my hair," she said and Kel nodded in agreement. It was true that Layna's beautiful pale golden hair was one of her best features. Though she did have a fairly pretty face and lovely soft green eyes, everyone knew the princess for her long pale golden hair. It was often compared to sunshine and there was a legend that the sun had seen how beautiful the baby princess was and had spun some of its own light into her hair. But if she didn't have her hair, would people even recognize her?

As she'd expected, Kel was completely game for the plan. It was simple enough, cut their hair, dress as boys and escape early on the morrow as messenger boys right from under the kings nose. "Alright, I'm game! Let's do this," she said with a somewhat regretful smile. Kel was very attached to her long auburn locks that fell in soft waves down her back. She riffled around Layna's room until she found scissors and motioned for Layna to sit down in a chair. She was often the one who cut the twin's hair so she had a little esperience. "Just don't flinch," she said with a wicked smile that brought a small smile to Layna's now slightly apprehensive face. "Okay, just do it."

The early morning saw Layna and Kel in the stables, wearing loosely fitted dusty, well word brown breeches, simple riding boots and the proper dark blue tunic all palace messenger boys wore. Both women kept their heads bowed lest someone recognize then by accident, though Layna's face was smeared with dirt and Kel's short wavy locks covered her eyes. They walked and easily saddled two horses, their own horses were waiting for them out in the forest.

Just as they come to the stables, though, a boy had noticed the horses missing and had alerted the guard. Upon seeing two conveniently placed "messenger boys" the guard had sent them to alert the guards at the Gate that the princess was missing and to ask if they'd seen her. This worked out fine for the two of them, this way, they could assure that an early message never reached the Gate guards. Grinning, Kel swung up onto her horse and lead the way towards the Gate. Of course, this meant they'd have to circle back into the forest, but that shouldn't be a problem since they'd be long gone before the sun even fully rose.

When at last they made it to their horses, the sun was just tipping over the horizon. Their own horses had a few provisions, a different tunic for each of them, they couldn't be seen outside the city in them, and bows and arrows as well as a good dagger for each of them. Only soldiers, knights and mercenaries carried swords.

They quickly readied themselves without speaking and unsaddled the palace horses, releasing them into the field with the other horses and hiding the tack. The mounted their horses quickly and headed back into the city where they could easily disappear in the morning bustle.


End file.
